'This is not just about changing schools': School board rezoning decision impacts families
The Rutherford County Schools districtwide rezoning plans approved by elected district officials Tuesday disappointed father Charlie Eblen.
"The proposed zoning change threatens to move our children from a school 2.5 miles away from our home," Eblen told the Rutherford County Board of Education prior to the rezoning decisions. "This is not just about changing schools. It's about the added time and financial burden that this move would impose on the community."
The majority of the board decided to rezone students from the fast-growing district's overcrowded campuses schools that combined depend on 179 portable classrooms to campuses that have available classrooms within buildings.
The rezoning that will be phased in over next three years will impact children attending 42 schools with zones. The district when counting choice schools or alternative schools has 50 schools overall serving an Oct. 11 count of 51,536 students in grades pre-K through 12.
District officials hope the Rutherford County Commission will be more supportive of funding new schools by using the available existing classrooms to relieve overcrowding for a district that typically adds about 1,000 students per year.
"We've got to get some schools built," board vice chairwoman Claire Maxwell said in joining the majority in three votes on the rezoning plans for elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.
Board member Coy Young opposed the rezoning decisions. He suggested the county should have established plans to fund new schools to serve the growing population before rezoning decisions are made.
Board member Frances Rosales agreed with Young in opposing the high school and middle school rezoning decisions. She said the district has no funding commitment from the County Commission to open new middle schools and high schools or additions beyond the $156.3 million expansion projects for Riverdale, Smyrna and Oakland high schools.
Rosales, however, backed the elementary school rezoning decision because the district has funding support from the County Commission to build an estimated $57.4 million westside elementary school by August 2025 on the northside of Baker Road near Blackman Road.
"It is not the time to pursue rezoning the middle school and high school boundary lines," Rosales said. "We're possibly looking at the possibility of rezoning once again and adding portables in overcrowded schools in 2028. I am not in favor of shuffling kids around the county for the sake of filling the open seats as means to say just because."
In addition to Maxwell, fellow board members Katie Darby, Tammy Sharp, Caleb Tidwell and chairwoman Shelia Bratton backed the three rezoning plans.
Darby mentioned that the board must do what's best for the county.
"Nobody likes rezoning," Darby said.
The district needs to give parents the rezoning plans, Darby said, "so people can make adjustments."
"We do care," Darby said.
The Rutherford County Schools website includes links with maps for the approved school rezoning plans,
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Father worries about commuting safety for his children after rezoning
Parents such as Eblen question why the board would impact families even before new schools open by rezoning children to farther away campuses.
"Blackman schools are an integral part of our lives," Eblen said. "It's where our children have formed friendships, engaged in enriching activities, and received a quality education that prepares them for their future endeavors."
Eblen told the board the rezoning decision will put his children in a greater safety risk to commute from their Florence Road area home to farther away Siegel High on the northside of Murfreesboro.
"Just yesterday (Monday), we had a fatal car accident crossing the same train tracks you are proposing our children cross multiple times a day," Ebren said. "Moreover, research (from the National Education Association) indicates that long commutes can negatively impact student performance due to stress and less time available for homework or extracurricular activities. We believe this unnecessary burden should not be imposed on our children or us."
The board should consider impacts to families before making rezoning decisions, Eblen said.
"Let's fix the root cause of the problem (and) not put a Band-Aid on a broken arm," Eblen said. "The problem isn't going away without the proper schools and leaders in place."
Response to school overcrowding: School rezoning pitched for county district 'to get all of our children a good seat'
Rezoning will start with elementary schools in 2024 and 2025
The board sought an unbiased rezoning plan with "no cherry picking," Maxwell said.
The board's rezoning options came from consultants with RSP, a firm based in Overland Park, Kansas, that provided $255,000 in services for the district..
"They looked at everything," Maxwell said. "They did an excellent job."
The rezoning decision will be phased over a few years starting next year with boundary lines involving Roy Waldron Elementary, La Vergne Lake Elementary, Smyrna Elementary and John Colemon Elementary.
Part of next year's rezoning plan pertains to moving children in the Roy Waldron Elementary Annex, formerly known as La Vergne Primary School, so the Annex can be used for other instructional purposes.
The children will move from the Annex to where classroom space is available to either to the neighboring Roy Waldron Elementary building, nearby La Vergne Lake Elementary or John Colemon Elementary in north Smyrna, Sharp confirmed after the board meeting.
"We're trying to get the entire K through five in one building at Roy Waldron," Sharp said. "If the numbers are too high, we'll shift to La Vergne Lake Elementary and John Colemon."
The remainder of the elementary school rezoning will start by August 2025 when the board opens the westside elementary school. The future campus is expected to relieve overcrowding at Blackman Elementary and Stewarts Creek Elementary.
The rezoning for the westside elementary school also will change the boundary for Brown's Chapel Elementary, which is on Baker Road and within 2 miles of the future campus.
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Rezoning for middle schools and high schools will start by 2026
The middle school and high school rezoning decisions will start by August 2026 when a yet-funded $71 million westside middle school is expected to open by the future westside elementary school.
The future westside middle school is expected to relieve overcrowding at Blackman Middle and Stewarts Creek Middle.
The board's westside school plans will replace a part of the historic John L. Batey farm. The board acquired 61.4 acres of farmland and a house for $5.2 million from Batey. He retained most of his 408.5-acre family farm that dates back to 1807 and is building a new house for his family on the far northwest side of the property.
The high school decision includes shifting Oakland High's southern boundary farther south from a road known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Murfreesboro and John Bragg Highway east of the city. The boundary would move to Bradyville Pike to ensure an Oakland High that's expected to lose students from its existing zone can fill the added 500 seats the campus is gaining from a $61.6 million expansion.
School board to buy part of Batey farm: 'Celebrity' pig's burial plot will be preserved on other side of Baker Road from where two schools will be built
Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. Follow his tweets on the X social media platform @ScottBroden. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.
Seven of eight large high schools rely on portable classrooms
The following shows Rutherford County student counts for large high schools on Sept. 6 with number of portable classrooms, the percentages of enrollment eligible for federally funded free or reduced-price school meals based on family income, and projected growth of existing zones over five-year stretch by August 2027:
Blackman High: 2,258 students; 4 portable classrooms; 32.3% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 14% increase in students in existing zone over five year stretch by August 2027
La Vergne High: 2,144 students; 7 portable classrooms; 68.9% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 31% increase in students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Oakland High: 1,946 students; 10 portable classrooms; 44.2% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 11% decrease of students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Riverdale High: 2,125 students; 17 portable classrooms; 44.2% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 9% increase of students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Rockvale High: 2,196 students; 10 portable classrooms; 34.6% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 13% increase of students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Siegel High: 1,869 students; zero portable classrooms; 33.3% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 11% increase of students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Stewarts Creek High: 2,458; 12 portable classrooms; 37.7% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 20% increase of students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Smyrna High: 2,183; 19 portable classrooms; 59.9% eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals; 12% increase of students in existing zone over five-year stretch by August 2027
Source: Rutherford County Schools and RSP consulting firm in Overland Park, Kansas
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rutherford school board rezones schools to relieve overcrowding
